Julian in Purgatory

by Jon Allen

Overview

Julian is going to change his life! Get off the couch, get a job, stop disappointing everyone he loves. But first: maybe a couple of pills?

Being the mayor's son comes with a lot of pressure: pressure to conform, perform, and live up to expectations. But Julian's opting out of it all. He’s living on his girlfriend's couch, dealing drugs, and watching the days pass, empty and unfulfilled. It . . . wasn't too bad, to be honest. At least, not until Dana flushed his stash and booted him to the street. Alone, adrift, broke, and jonesing, Julian has burned his last bridge, his schemes have gone from “moronic” to “tied up in an abandoned mine shaft,” and the tiny town of Piney Bluff is swiftly running out of safe harbors for its most fortunate son. It’s time for Julian to take some steps, but first he has to find a way out of purgatory.

An awkward, wince-worthy, and hilarious companion piece to creator Jon Allen’s previous work, The Lonesome Era, Julian in Purgatory is a wild safari through one kid’s bad choices and worse consequences.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781945820748
Publisher:	Iron Circus Comics
Publication date:	12/01/2020
Pages:	228
Product dimensions:	7.00(w) x 7.00(h) x 0.70(d)
Age Range:	13 - 17 Years

About the Author

Jon Allen grew up in a small town in Connecticut in the Naugatuck Valley, and he's been drawing comics since he was a kid, initially inspired by reading Calvin and Hobbes in the newspaper. He went to school for illustration and got his MFA in painting. When he graduated in 2009, he moved to Brooklyn and put all his energy into making comics. Since then, he's worked as a barista, a studio assistant for a handful of painters, a UI/UX designer, and a storyboard and layout artist for a show on Adult Swim.

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

“Jon Allen has this really interesting style and pacing; it’s very understated.” — THE GUARDIAN

“His droll comic timing and assured, slightly eccentric pacing enlivens any standard ‘burnout roommate’ tropes he draws upon, making for a highly entertaining read.” — THE COMICS JOURNAL

“If there’s one thing that’s certain about Allen, it’s that his comics are going to continue to reach for their own high standards.” — BLEEDING COOL

Editorial Reviews

"A touching book that is sure to appeal to any reader who has tried to be the person they were meant to be." — BOOKLIST (The Lonesome Era)

"Darkly funny." — PUBLISHERS WEEKLY (The Lonesome Era)

From the Publisher

11/01/2020

Gr 9 Up—Julian is floundering. Though he's the mayor's son, he's addicted to drugs, unwilling to get a job, and full of excuses. But after one binge too many, his sympathetic but codependent girlfriend Dana finally kicks him out. Left on his own with no money and nowhere to go, he decides to rob his dealer. Things go horribly wrong, and Julian has to face some frightening consequences. This straightforward tale is sympathetic yet never glamorizes addiction. Julian can see his issues, but since he doesn't believe they're his fault, he refuses to take responsibility. Julian's friends range from tolerant to completely frustrated, while Dana can't draw the line between being supportive and enabling. The decision to depict the characters as animals (Julian is catlike, while Dana appears to be a canine, though both are fairly ambiguous) will draw readers in, making it easier for them to see themselves or those they know in the story. Cartoonish, expressive black-and-white art is at its most powerful when showing characters under the influence and when portraying heightened emotions. VERDICT Though the book would benefit from the inclusion of addiction resources, the accessible story and strong art make it a poignant examination of the toll addiction takes, both on those who are addicted and those in their orbit.—Carla Riemer, Albany H.S., CA

School Library Journal

2020-09-10
The drug addiction, unemployment, homelessness, near death, and fractured search for self-worth of a deceptively cute comic cat.

Julian (an anthropomorphized cat) is the son of a former two-term mayor, wearer of expensive shirts, and addict of his coffee-table drug buffet. After his levelheaded girlfriend kicks him out, Julian dredges his list of next-best friends hoping to find money, new digs, and someone who will understand why the world is against him. Though he hates his haters, he can’t help but think that maybe there’s some truth to what they’re saying. Julian’s interpretation of lemons to lemonade: steal a bag of drugs from his dealer and try to make a financial go of it without getting caught. Except he does. The panels per spread alternate from one per page to four, an intentionality of variation that keeps the visual narrative flowing. Close-ups have an ad campaign graphic quality to them (sharp and chic). Speech bubbles have easily digested text (even spacing, linear execution). An absence of scratchy texture to the art makes for a smooth, black-and-white creaminess that supports the seemingly innocuous world of adorable animal characters (you nearly forget you’re witnessing weighty material like attempted murder, a dead drug dealer in hell, or two girlfriends getting drunk while bashing bad boyfriends).

Puts the dark in comedy and sheds some light on an addict’s circuitous path to uncertainty. (Graphic fiction. 14-18)

Kirkus Reviews